The Hard Way
by RaucousLaughter
Summary: Canon Pairings. Set during DH after Ginny kisses Harry on his birthday. Ginny finds she may have a reason to staying behind. This is super sappy and sentimental because I suppose that's the mood I've been in lately. Fluff, fluff. There may be some mistakes, which I will definitely correct if people point them out. I was just anxious to write something new since it's been a while.


Ginny fell backwards on her bed with a loud groan, the springs bouncing beneath her. Her red hair spread wide as she knocked her head agains the pillow in frustration. When she closed her eyes she saw the angry, confused look on Ron's face, his angry red cheeks. Hermione's wide, apologetic eyes. Harry's embarrassment. Harry's lips. She could still feel Harry's lips. Still, she regretted nothing. Sighing, she opened her eyes, surprised to find there were tears in them. It was so unlike her to cry. She'd shed tears at Dumbledore's funeral, of course. They all had. But when Harry had broken up with her, she'd remained calm despite how much she'd wanted to fight back, to argue with him. She wanted to tell him that she didn't care if Voldemort used her to get to him. She'd never let him get to Harry. Voldemort could had used her before and she could handle it. She wanted to fight_ with _Harry. He seemed perfectly fine to have Ron and Hermione facing impossible dangers by his side and he cared for them as much as he did for her.

But then, she knew that wasn't true. They would go with him no matter what and he couldn't stop them. She knew from Hermione that he'd only given in to them recently and still reluctantly. She knew in her heart that her family needed her to stay. Her mother was already a complete wreck, her father now wore an extreme brave face, even Fred and George had taken on a somewhat serious demeanor that was strange to see. Bill and Fleur's wedding was meant to make everyone feel better, to take their minds off the bad, but Ginny couldn't. All she could see was Harry, her boyfriend, Hermione, he best friend, and Ron, her brother, leaving her behind. Even though Harry had technically ended their relationship, she knew it wasn't the end. _Unless he doesn't come back alive,_ she thought morbidly. More tears fell at that thought. She couldn't accept that possibility. She wanted to scream. She thought she now completely understood how Sirius had felt when cooped up at Grimmauld Place during Harry's fifth year. He'd felt useless and trapped. He'd had to stay behind for his own good and now Ginny would have to be useless at Hogwarts for the same stupid reason. What did she care for her own good when her friends and family were out there doing something important! A knock startled her and she sat bold upright, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Who is it?"

"Just me," came Hermione's voice.

"Come in," said Ginny, rearranging her pillows. The smell of familiar summer flowers came in through her open window on a warm breeze.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said in a small, abashed voice as she closed the door behind her. "I tried to stop him. I figured when you invited Harry in that you...anyway, Ron's a complete idiot." Hermione's face grew pink when she said his name. Ginny smirked and tried not to roll her eyes.

"It's fine. It's probably better that we were interrupted."

"What were you _thinking_?" Hermione asked.

"What? Way to change your tune so suddenly."

"Surely you're only making it more difficult for yourself," Said Hermione, pursing her lips. _Always too practical for your own good, _Ginny thought.

"Maybe. But I had to, Hermione. What if he doesn't...I couldn't have you three leave with him thinking I was still upset. He needs to know that I still care, that I'll always care, whether we're together or not." Hermione nodded and silence fell between them. Ginny thought she noticed tears in her friend's eyes and suddenly she felt terrible. If Harry didn't come back, what would happen to Ron and Hermione?

"I'm sure he _will _come back. I'm sure you all will," Ginny said, though she did not feel sure at all.

"Ron tried to convince me to stay behind again," Hermione said softly, and Ginny couldn't help but let out a laugh.

"As if," said Ginny.

"We had a huge row... He means well, but..."

"But he's completely mad," Ginny said, grinning. Hermione did not smile. She continued looking at the ground and started to shake with small sobs.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Hermione said, wiping the tears away. Ginny immediately went to hug her. "It's only that, I suppose it all just hit me, and I'm a bit overwhelmed. This is so over our heads, what if we're completely mental?"

"You are," said Ginny, "but I believe in you."

"I had a dream last night. I nightmare..." Hermione began tentatively, her voice getting even softer.

"Did you?" asked Ginny, even though she'd gotten up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and noticed Hermione squirming uncomfortably on her cot.

"It was so awful...I don't know if I can say it."

"You don't have to."

"No, I do. I feel if I say it out loud, I'll be able to let it go...that I'll be sure it was just a dream."

"I'm listening." Ginny squeezed Hermione's hand and took a deep breath.

"It's hard to say, impossible..."

"I'm here."

"In the dream...Ron died, saving me..." Hermione spoke and a shiver ran up Ginny's spine. "There was this faceless thing, this being, I don't remember much about it only it made me feel helpless and lost..."

"Like a Dementor?"

"The same feeling, yes, but that wasn't it. It surrounded us, just this sense of doom and before I knew it, he was jumping in front of me to block a spell and then..."

Real tears fell down Ginny's freckled cheeks now. Nausea began to well inside her stomach. Her brother...picturing it was too much. When George's ear had been curse, Ginny'd watched him struggling on the sofa, her face ghostly white with fear. Her tears did not help Hermione feel better.

"It was a dream Hermione," she said.

"But it could happen," Hermione said, a note a panic in her voice.

"I know." Ginny spoke with more calm than she felt. This was the beginning of the helplessness. There was nothing she could say to comfort Hermione and there was nothing she could do to stop a situation like the dream from actually happening. She didn't dare say what she was feeling. "But like I said...I believe in you. You'll be cautious, as safe as you can be. And we'll be here. Mum and Dad, Kingsley...all the Order members...we'll do everything we can from wherever we are."

"Thank You," said Hermione. "I do feel better now that I shared the nightmare. I can feel the image fading. It's been with me all morning. I've been close to tears every time I look at Ron."

"Which is a lot," Ginny said, trying to lighten the mood.

"He looks so concerned, so tender. Like he wants to comfort me."

"Are we talking about the _same _Ron?"

"It only made it worse. I nearly lost it in front of him."

"And would that be such a bad thing? If you let him comfort you?"

"We aren't going down that road, Ginny. It wouldn't be smart."

"Well, maybe you're too smart for your own good! Come on, Hermione..."

"It would alienate Harry."

"So, you've done that for years."

"We'll need to keep our heads while we're gone."

"But you're not gone, yet. You're here, Hermione, at the Burrow and there's a wedding. If you can, put your fears aside, just this once, and enjoy yourself. Dance, drink too much butterbeer. Try not to worry. That's why I had to kiss Harry. It could be our last chance and I didn't want to waste that. The future didn't matter in that moment."

A knock came at the door followed by Ron's voice.

"Hey, have you seen Hermione?"

"Come in," said Ginny.

"I'm here."

"Oh."

"_Now_ you knock."

"Yeah, sorry," said Ron, his ears turning pink.

"What's up?" Hermione asked.

"Just wondering where you got to. Mum's made tea, but if you want to stay up here..."

"I'll go down with you," she said, rising from the edge of Ginny's bed.

"Ginny?" asked Ron.

"I'll be down in a minute." Ginny watched as Ron let Hermione go before him, a hand lightly on her back, a gesture he never would have made a year ago. The sound of Fleur's voice floated in through the window and she looked out the window to see she and Bill admiring the tents, his arm around her. Suddenly Ginny felt more at home than she had in a while. This was where she belonged. She wasn't useless. She had helped make Hermione feel better. No matter that it didn't feel like much. Listening to a friend in need was enough. Ginny had to stay strong, to be a rock. She was Harry's certainty. Having her safe at home was what he needed and that wasn't useless. That was so important. As she went down to stairs she caught Harry on the stairs. Without a word she smiled at him, conveying her acceptance of his journey and her support for him. She put everything she'd wanted to put into the kiss into this smile. And when he smiled back, she knew he'd received the message. She wouldn't argue. She knew her role. She had a mission too and though she'd thought that she was taking the easy way out, she now saw that she had the more difficult task of not knowing everything. Of being patient. Of being home.


End file.
